Fruit-drying tray



w'. w. WATSON.

FRUIT DRYING TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 192i.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

STATES PATENT OFFICE. p

WILLIAM W. WATSON, F JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

FRUIT-DRYING TRAY.

Application filed May 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM 1V. VVATSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFruit-Drying Trays, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to drying screens for fruit; and the object of theimprovement is to provide a heavy wire screen tray having a tubularsheet metal frame construction of great strength and durability, whichcan be economically struck up from the sheet metal providing aconstruction which is light and specially adaptable to the purpose; andthe invention consists in the novel features and combinationshereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper side of the tray,the vertical and lateral central portions being broken away to show theconstruction and arrange ment of the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view ofthe frame side adjacent one of the corners showing the attaching groovefor the screen fabric on the outer side, and opening downward, and theprotective flange on the spline strip for the heavy screen fabric on theunder side of said tray. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said under sideof the screen frame showing the attaching groove for the screen fabricaround the outer side of the sheet metal tubular frame, the centralportions of said frame sides being broken away. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the spring spline for holding the screen fabric in the groovedframe side with the projecting flange extending out at right angles tothe same. Fig. 5 is a modification of the spline as shown in Fig. 4:,showing a metal rod in the tubular edge of said spline so as to form asolid spline which depends upon the spring of the sheet metal frame sidefor holding the spline and screen fabric in said outer groove aroundsaid frame.

Like characters of reference refer to cor responding parts in theseveral views.

The numeral designates the tubular sheet metal frame side which is cutand bent from the flat sheet metal strip by means of suitable dies so asto form the lengthwise groove 11 along the outer edges of said frameside.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 471,487.

The groove 11 enlarges inwardly and opens sidewise toward the bottom orunder side of the tray frame along its outer edge, and is formed byfolding the lengthwise edges of the strip into the groove formation, theouter edge portion 12 being bent over the inner edge portion 13 tothereby give the enlarging inward effect so as to receive the edge ofthe screen fabric in the groove 11 to be held in place by springing thespline 14 into said groove.

The modified form 15 of the spline 14 with its rod 16 through thetubular portion thereof is used in precisely the same manner as thespring spline 1 1, depending upon the spring of the sheet metal groovesides to permit the inlet of the solid spline 15 which is slightlylarger than the mouth of said groove 11 so that as it springs into thesame, it is held firmly in position. The contacting edge portions 12 and13 of the strip on the two sides of the groove are preferably welded orsoldered or otherwise attached so that they cannot turn or move upon oneanother, thereby giving great rigidity to the construction of the trayside.

Both the resilient or spring spline 14 and the modified spline 15 havethe protecting flange 16 extending out angularly therefrom along thebottom or under side of the screen fabric 17 to rest upon and protectthe same, when the trays are stacked upon one another or upon otherwearing surfaces. This also strengthens the screen wire in itsattachment to the frame side of the tray. The peculiar placing of thegroove 11 and its opening downward is made necessary by the manner ofusing the tray for drying fruit. The fruit is spread upon the screen 17and is taken therefrom by means of shovels or other flat metallic tools.If the groove 11 were on the inner edge of the frame side, the screenfabric 17 would be quickly cut by the shovel or other tool where itenters the groove, thereby ruining the tray for this use.

The present arrangement provides a strong tubular frame side 10 with itsfull depth which may be of any desired measurement along said inneredge, and the fruit may be shoveled or taken from the tray by means ofthe usual tools without danger of cutting or injuring the heavy screenfabric 17 At the same time, the flange strip 16 protects said screenfabric from wear as the loaded tray rests upon the same, yet permits thequick withdrawal of the spline from the groove 11 by means of a suitabletool and re moval of the screen fabric 17 for repair or renewal of thesame. V

The corners of the screen frame are preferably mitered and united bysoldering or welding or any other suitable means, and have theprotective corner clips 18 riveted or welded thereto tothereby hold saidcorners against the heavy strains in the rough usage towhichsaid traysare subjected. The sides of the corner clip also brace the outer sidesof the groove side, thereby giving added strength to the same.

A tubular sheet metal insert corner piece 19 is also provided within thetubular frame side to which said mitered corners of the frame side maybe attached, thereby greatly stiffening and strengthening each of thecorners of the tray, the outer corner clip and inner tubular cornersupport holding firmly against one another and forming a strongattaching means in. addition to themitered and welded corners of thesheet metal tubular frame side.

The placing of the attaching groove 11 so that it opens along the outeredge of the under side also provides a smooth, broad upper surface forthe frame sides 10 with the exception of the protective corner clips 18,so that there is nothing on the frameside for the shovels or other toolsto catch and injure the tray frame, and they are easyito clean. Thecorner clips 18, as stated, are preferably struck up from thick metal soas to provide strong protection to the corners as shown in Figsfl, 2 and3, while the broadly flanged spline 14: or 15 is made of sufficientlyheavy.

metal to thoroughly protect the under side of the frame, therebyprovlding arstrongly protected and durable construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A fruit drying tray comprising a tubular sheet metal frame sidehaving a lengthwise groove therein opening sidewise, a spaced distancefrom its inner edge, screen fabric having its edge portions in saidgroove, an attaching spline for said fabric in said groove, and a broadprotective flange on said spline parallel with said screen fabrlc.

2. A fruit drying tray comprising a tuv bular sheet metal frame having agroove on its outer under side opening downward, screen fabric coveringsaid side of said frame having its edge portions in said groove, anattaching spline for said fabric in said groove, and a broad flange onsaid spline extending therefrom around said frame beneath the same toprotect said screen fabric.

:3, A. metallic fruit drying tray comprising a tubular sheet metal framecomposed of frame sides struck from strips of sheet metal into thetubular form, the edge portions of said strips of sheet metal formed ina groove opening downward along the outer sides of said tubular frame,the contacting surfaces of said edge por ions welded or soldered to oneanother, said groove shaped to enlarge inwardly, screen wire over theunder side of said frame, and a sheet metal spline having a broad flangeextending beneath said frame and screen fabric and springing into saidgroove to attach said screen fabric therein around said frame.

4;. A metallic fruit drying tray'comprising tubular sheet metal framesides struck from strips of sheet metal and attached to one another bymitered corners, tubular corner inserts to assist in holding said mitered corners, the edge portions of said strips attached to one another bysoldering or welding and formed in a groove enlarging inwardly, cornerclips to hold said mitered corners, screen wire on the under side ofsaid frame side, a sheet metal spline having a tu- WILLIAM w. warson.

Witnesses V GORINNE V. Swanson, THno. THoMAs Haas.

